UPDATE: Audi Reveals All-New Q8 Flagship Crossover [Video]

Audi goes one bigger – and perhaps bolder – with the new Audi Q8 flagship.

Step aside, Q7, it’s time to hand over the flagship reins to a new contender. The company revealed the brand new Audi Q8 at an event in China. Their new model showcases a bolder, more in-your-face design than previous models, including its coupe-like shape. With this new form factor, the Audi Q8 is poised to take on the likes of the BMW X6, Range Rover Sport and Mercedes-Benz GLE coupe, at least moreso than the full-fledged Range Rover, Mercedes-Benz GLE SUV or the impending BMW X7.

The Audi Q8 aims to set itself apart from the competition partly by way of its styling. The grille is more upright than the Q7. The taillight, in the spirit of the 2019 A7 Sportback, is a full-width arrangement that gives the car a distinctive rear fascia. Inside, the Audi Q8 is typical of the brand these days. That means a 12.3-inch virtual cockpit display, dual infotainment screens. However, one particularly striking detail of the new Q8 is right in the center of the dashboard stack. The climate vents have been integrated into one straight line right across the dashboard, interrupted only by the instrument cluster.

No powertrain information released for the U.S. market

The Audi Q8 is set to go on sale in the European market sometime within the next few months. Audi is not specifically mentioning powertrains yet for the North American market, nor do we know exactly when it’s coming. However, it’s likely the Q8 will use the brand’s 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 engine, or possibly even use the 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four that’s now available in the Q7.

We do know that no Audi would be complete without the brand’s signature Quattro all-wheel drive system, and the Q8 is no exception. The Q8 will also pack a 48-volt mild hybrid system. As such, it will also have automatic stop/start..

At 16.4 feet long, 6.6 feet wide and 5.6 feet tall, the Audi Q8 is wider, shorter and lower than its Q7 counterpart. Think of it more as the more stylish version of the Q7 rather than its bigger brother, as the BMW X7 will be to the current X5. Despite that, the Audi Q8 has a wheelbase is nearly identical to that of the Q7 at 9.8 feet, or 117.6 inches.

New tech: Remote garage pilot

The Audi Q8 will house all the technology we’ve come to expect in Audis. That means the dual infotainment screens, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support, Wi-Fi connectivity and a Bang & Olufsen premium sound system. There’s also adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and a 360-degree camera system. However, one new feature that will debut early next year is the remote garage pilot system.

Rather than driving the car in and out of your garage on your own, you can use the myAudi app to autonomously park it in your garage. That way, you can simply beckon the car out of the garage when you’re ready to go to work each day.

Audi hasn’t announced pricing for the new Q8 yet. However, we’d expect it to start well north of the Audi Q7’s $50,000 starting price. Pricing for the BMW X6 starts off nearly $5,000 more than the X5, so we’d expect the price for the Audi Q8 to start at least in the mid-50s and head to the stratosphere from there. Whatever the price, the Audi Q8 will go on sale in the U.S. later this year.

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Audi Q8 Photo Gallery

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